Apparatus for producing an excitation applicable in electro-stimulotherapy



Dec. 1, 1959 F. PARODI 2,915,066 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN EXCITATION APPLICABLE IN ELEGTRO-STIMULO-THERAPY Filed July 24, 1956 r 2,915,066 PatentedDec 1,1959

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN 'EXCITATION APPLICABLE IN ELECTRO-STIMULOTHERAPY Felice Parodi, Florence, Italy, assignor to Casther S.A., Pantin, France, a French body corporate Application July 24, 1956, Serial No. 599,711 Claims priority, application France August 5, 1955 Claims. (Cl- 128-419) This invention is concerned essentially with an excitation method applicable in the treatment of various diseases by electro-stimulotherapy.

It is known that the treatment of certain chronic diseases may be efiected by producing an electrical stimulation of adequate form and characteristic, adapted to penetrate deeply into the structure of the neuro-vegetative system and develop therein reflexes or, in other words, electron currents adapted, through their different actions, to restore in the nervous system and in the tissues the equilibrium of certain substances pertaining to the structural composition of these tissues, which equilibrium is necessary for the chemico-trophic action of the physiological current normally flowing through these tissues.

A known application of the electro-stimulotherapy consists in utilizing discontinuous, low-frequency currents having characteristics as close as possible to those of the physiological nervous waves normally flowing through the nervous system.

The main aim of the method described hereafter is to create a stimulation of the nervous system by causing an electrical excitation to the cutaneous surface under specific and defined conditions. This stimulation involves a physiological reaction in the treated tissues and has for a consequence an evident improvement of the defensive power of the organism. Thus the method may have a considerable field of application as regards the physiological science or the medical art. Considering more particularly the medicine, it may be pointed out that the therapeutic concerned is a logical consequence of the works of Relly and Selye, and provides under specific conditions and with improved means, an application to the human body, of several experiences performed on animals by said scientists.

This therapeutic is successfully applied when physiological reflexes are to be created in order to counteract the morbid excitation caused by the disease and consequently to revivify a lesion. The method is thus applicable for treating many diseases and particularly tuberculosis. The electron current is fed to at least two electrodes, on the surface of which appear electrical charges. Said electrodes are set in contact with the cutaneous surface; in the case of pulmonary tuberculosis for example, one of them is applied on the patients breast, the other one is applied on his back. An electrolyte is preferably inserted between the electrode itself and the cutaneous surface in order to improve the electrical conductibility. A complete treatment comprises several applications, each one being performed during an accurately determined lapse of time (for example 3) with an accurately determined intensity per surface unit (for example 5 A per square cm.). The treatment has for a consequence a progressive decrease of the lesion and is effected until the expected result is attained that is to say until the complete disappearing of the lesion.

Besides, the a'pplicationof these electric currents must be very accurate for they are characterised by a considerable-biological power and under certain conditions these 2 currents may bring about the rapid disintegration of'substantial quantities of tissues. Consequently, the excitation thus produced should be strictly metered as to its strength, duration and extent of application.

The excitation method according to this invention meets these requirements and is remarkable notably in that it consists in utilizing a high-voltage rectified alternating current and causing this current to flow through one or a plurality of high-value complementary resistors before delivering it to the tissues to be treated, the value of said voltage and of the resistor or resistors being high enough to prevent the resistances or resistance variations inherent to the tissues fed with the application current from producing appreciable or detrimental variations in the strength of the current itself.

Thus, the strength, even of very low value, of the currents employed in a treatment can be adjusted very accurately, since these currents can easily overcome the resistances of the body which are sometimes relatively high and frequently of continuously-varying value.

This invention is also concerned with an apparatus designed for delivering currents applicable in electro-stimulotherapy according to the method broadly set forth hereinabove, this apparatus being remarkable notably in that it comprises in combination a voltage regulator fed with A.C., means for rectifying the current delivered from said regulator, voltage step-up and step-down means for supplying the different circuits of said rectifying means, said voltage step up and step-down means being designed to produce in the load or output circuit a rectified high-voltage current, and one or more high-value additional resistors disposed across the output of said load circuit, said voltage and said additional resistors having values high enough to prevent the resistances or resistance variations inherent to the tissues to which the application current is fed from producing appreciable or detrimental variations in the strength of the current itself.

Moreover, this apparatus may comprise diflerent instruments for measuring the strength of the current.

applied, and also tell-tale lamps indicating the operation of certain circuits in the apparatus, etc. It may also comprise adjustment means such as switches whereby'a common feed current may be used to deliver currents of.

different voltages.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as the following description proceeds with reference to the attached drawing forming part of this specification and illustrating diagrammatically by way of examplethe manner in which the invention may be carried out in the practice. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a wiring diagram of an apparatus constructed according to the teachings of this invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an apparatus according to this invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary diagram showing a modification of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, and

Figure 4 is an alternate modification of similar character.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing the apparatus for producing an excitating current adapted for use in stimulotherapy comprises, in a'housing 1, a current inlet or mains line 2 adapted to be connected through a suitable connector 3 to an external supply line 4, for example the AC. mains. The current inlet line 2 is provided with the usual safety and control devices, such as a switch 5 and fuses 6.

The line 2 is connected to a voltage regulator 7 (of any type known per se) adapted to deliver at its output terminals 8 a precise voltage, for example volts.

The current issuing from this voltage regulator is fed to the heating and plate circuits of current rectifiers' consisting for example of a pair of valves 10, 11 connected as follows:

An intermediate circuit connected across the output terminals 8, 9 of the voltage regulator comprises in parallel on one section 12 thereof the primaries 13', 14 of a pair of transformers 15, 16 respectively. The stepup transformer 15 has its secondary winding 17 connected through its end terminals to the plates 18, 19 of valves 10 and 11 respectively, and its middle tapping point 20 earthed through the Wire 21 and the condenser 39.

On the other hand, the current transformer 16 has its secondary winding 22 connected through the points A and B to the heating circuits of the cathodes 23, 24 of valves 10 and 11 respectively.

The primary 14 of transformer 16 may comprise a plurality of windings adapted to be connected separately or in combination, in parallel with the primary 13 of transformer 15 through the medium of a switch 25 which may be of the rotary type. The various contacts a a a a, of this rotary switch are connected to one terminal of each section of the primary winding 14, as shown. If desired, the rotary switch 25 may be operatively coupled with another rotary switch 26 adapted to connect in series, in the circuit 27 of a microammeter 28 inserted in the line 21, a plurality of suitable shunt resistors R R or R The intermediate circuit connected across the output terminals 8, 9 of the voltage regulator 7 for feeding the transformers 15, 16 comprises in addition a timeswitch 29 inserted in one of its sections 13, together with telltale lamps 30, 31 mounted in parallel before and after this timeswitch, respectively, across the sections 12 and 13 of this circuit.

Auxiliary resistors R and R' are mounted in series with the tell-tale lamps in order to limit the current passing through said lamps to an adequate value.

The middle tapping point 32 of the secondary 22 of transformer 16 is connected through resistors R R and R to three output terminals b b and b;;, respectively.

These terminals b b and b are connected to the point 32; for example, the terminal b is connected through the medium of resistor R terminal b through the aggregate resistors R +R and terminal b through the aggregate three resistors R5+R6+Rq' There is shown diagrammatically at 34 a connector cap connected through a wire 35 to a first electrode 36, a second electrode 37 being connected to the earth. The treatment current passes through the patients body (not shown) which is in contact with both electrodes 36 and 37. The cap 34 has three pins or contacts p p 2 adapted to engage the terminals b b 12 respectively.

According to the useful or operating surface available in the electrode employed in the application of the excitation current, only one of the aforesaid terminals 17,, b 12 is connected to the wire 35 through one of the contact studs 12 p or p the cap 34 incorporating any suitable connecting means adapted selectively to couple the desired contact stud and terminal, according to the electrode utilized. Thus, in the case of Fig. 1, the cap 34, when connected to the terminals b b and b connects the wire 35 to the load circuit 33 through the cou pling b /p alone. In a like manner Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate two other cap arrangements 34, 34" providing two other types of connection. The cap 34 is provided to cooperate with electrodes 36' and 37 whereas the cap 34" is provided to cooperate with electrodes 36" and 37". Of course the pairs of electrodes 3637, 36'-37', and 36"37" have different characteristics.

The apparatus described hereinabove operates as follows;

The voltage regulator 7 fed with A.C. for example from the mains line 4 delivers, across its output-terminals 8', 9a current of constantly accurate value, for example 110 volts. This voltage regulator. is adapted to-deliver high-voltage current through the transformer 15 to the plate circuits of valves 10', 11, and low-voltage current through the other transformer 16 to the heating circuits of these valves. The load circuit connected across the two central tapping points 20 and 32 of the secondary windings 17 and 22 of transformers 15, 16 respectively comprises on the side of transformer 15 the earthing line 21 and the circuit 27 of microammeter 28, and on the side of transformer 16 the line 33, resistors R R R terminals b b b and the connector cap 34 connected through the wire 35 and an electrode (not shown) to the earth.

When the switch 5 is closed the tell-tale lamp 30 indicates that the input circuit of the apparatus is supplied with energizing current. Then the timeswitch 29 is set to provide the desired time of current flow, this time being relatively short, for example of the order of a few minutes. Then the desired voltage is adjusted. by means of the rotary switch 25; the voltage in the primary 13 of the high-voltage transformer 15 and therefore that fed to the load circuit connected in the plate circuit of valves 10 and 11 vary according to the value of the voltage drop obtained in the primary 14 of transformer 16.

When the rotary switch 25 is actuated the switch 26 causes at the same time the proper shunt R R or R to be connected in series in the circuit of the microammeter 28.

With an arrangement of this type it is possible to obtain in the load circuit a rectified, two-alternation current of a voltage of the order of 1,500 volts, for example when the rotary switch 25 closes the intermediate circuit through the contact stud a The resistors R R and R may have values of the order of 200,000 to 600,000 ohms, but of course these are not limit-values.

With this apparatus it is possible to use electrodes having an operating area of the order of for example 50, or square centimeters (8, 16 or 24 sq. in.) adapted to be connected separately to the output of the apparatus on the terminals b k or 12 respectively.

Of course, it is possible to design other apparatus operating according to the same principles as those employed in the apparatus described hereinabove, for ex? ample in view of utilizing a greater number of electrodes or applying currents having voltages or characteristics differing considerably from those of the currents that can be produced by the apparatus described, provided that.

these voltages, on the one hand, and the additional resistors such as R R R on the other hand, have values high enough to prevent the voltage of the current fiowing through the electrode employed in the treatment, irrespective of its low strength, from varying to any appreciable or detrimental extent according to the resistances or resistance variations of the tissues to which the excitation is transmitted through the apparatus.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the single form of embodiment shown and described, or to the resistance and voltage values mentioned, as these embodiments and values are given by way of example only.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for producing currents applicable in stimulotherapy comprising a voltage regulator fed with alternating current, means for rectifying the current dclivered from said regulator, a step up transformer for feedingthe high voltage circuits of said rectifying means, a current transformer for feeding the low voltage circuits of said rectifying means, the primary of the current transformer comprising a plurality of windings adapted to be connected separately or in combination, in parallel with the primary of said step-up transformer, a timeswitch for controlling the current delivered by said voltage regulator, and a load circuit fed with the. two-alternations rectified current delivered by said rectifyingmeans and comprisinga plurality of high-value additional resistors and at least a pair of electrodes, the voltage of said rec- 5 tified current and the value of said resistors being high enough to cause the resistance variations inherent to the tissues to which the current is applied by means of said electrodes, to entail but negligible variations in the strength of said current.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the primary of the transformer supplying the low voltage circuit of the aforesaid rectifying means comprises a plurality of series windings adapted to be inserted in the circuit through a suitable switch, said switch being thus adapted to cause the voltage of the primary of the transformer feeding the high voltage circuit of the aforesaid rectifying means, and at the same time the voltage at the output terminals of the apparatus, to vary between predetermined values.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the said adjustment switch is operatively coupled with another switch adapted automatically to establish in the circuit of an apparatus provided for measuring the strengths of the current utilized the connections for putting in series with said measuring apparatus shunts consistent with the characteristics of the current determined in the load circuit by said adjustment switch.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a plurality of said additional resistors of adequate value are provided at the output of the load circuit of the apparatus, said resistors being so arranged as to be automatically and selectively put in series in the load circuit according to the type of the electrodes connected to the apparatus, whereby the current applied will have the desired strength, irrespective of the electrode employed.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the aforesaid additional resistors are connected on the one hand to the load circuit of the apparatus and on the other hand, each to an output terminal, of said circuit, said resistors being so interconnected as to operate according to the specific output terminal employed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

